Over 1,800 capitalize on early voting
Early voting was brisk leading into Tuesday’s combination of primaries and local option sales tax referendum.
According to Election Administrator Donna Yates, a total of 1,812 people cast early ballots during the two-week early voting period which concluded Thursday. The final chance to vote will be Feb. 10 when polls around the county open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“The numbers stack up pretty well for a primary election,” Yates said. “Of course, helping it out is a contested county race and the county option sales tax referendum.”
The present election includes presidential preference primaries, both Democratic and Republican, as well as local primaries for both the offices of assessor of property and 5th District County Commissioner.
Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination to the property assessor’s office. County voters, those residing outside McMinnville, are also deciding if they want to increase the local option sales tax from 2.0 to 2.75 percent. Voters in the city overwhelmingly passed a similar measure last year and the city is already collecting the increased rate.
While numbers were above average for the primary election, they are no where near the local record when 5,747 voted early in the November 2002 election. However, that election featured contested races for governor, U.S. congress, U.S. senate, both state houses, city aldermen and a liquor referendum.